Talk:Patrick McGoohan

Various

• The Best of Friends: Adapted from their letters and journals, this is a portrayal of the unique 25-year friendship shared by Dame Laurentia McLachlan (Benedictine nun), Sir Sydney Cockerell (museum curator), and George Bernard Shaw (playwright/critic).

• The Phantom had some fun lines for McGoohan.

Why in the world is #6 refered to as "infamous"?

This article reads like it was swiped from some puerile fan magazine article.

To the writer of the above; comments, suggestions and criticisms are welcome but you need to sign your statements in order for them to be taken seriously. 23skidoo 19:00, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

Link

Just enquiring about the link to "Patrick McGoohan biography", isn't this blatant product advertising with the link not containing any information additional to the article? Rickd2007 (talk) 00:20, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

Irish/American/British

I have added bio data from the PATRICK McGOOHAN information page [1]about the movements of his parents in his early life.

As you can see although born in the states and living as a small child in Ireland - Patrick grew up and was largely educated in England.

This all makes a nonsence of the rather pointed jibe about his being claimed for the "British film industry" when in fact Irish-American. So I deleted that as well.

I don't know what Patrick calls himself or what citizenship he holds now - but he was certainly a major part of the British Film and TV world and having been brought up in the UK and educated here - and not really living in the USA until much later in life - I think calling him Irish-American is misleading. 86.20.54.83 19:21, 31 August 2006 (UTC)Graeme

An Irish actor?

Why is this so important? He was born in the USA, he lived briefly in Ireland where his parents are from. He lived for much longer in the UK where he was educated, started acting, married and became a star! He know lives in the USA.

Ethnically Irish - whatever that means, maybe. A British TV star - sure. An American - by birth, yeah. Why is it so important to label him Irish? It is hardly the whole picture.

What do ya got against the Irish? If he had Irish parents, he's Irish. Duh. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.79.88.255 (talk) 19:40, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Again, why get so worked up? Chip on shoulder time! Yeah he's Irish. But a US citizen so he's American. Raised and began career and became a star in the UK - so he can also be British. Where's the beef? Its's the "Irish Actor" tag I object to - it just doesn't nail it; isn't an accurate summation of his career or background.Daisyabigael (talk) 23:47, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Does anybody know how PMG refers to himself?

I prefer American-born actor of Irish parentage who rose to fame in the British film and TV industry.

Change it if you like, but please justify doing so. Daisyabigael 13:23, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

In an episode of Danger Man, Drake refered to himself as "Irish American", if that helps. I do not know however. --Indolences 18:51, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! But of course Drake is not McGoohan. Number 6 is clearly British/English. Does anybody know what passports he carries? What he calls himself? Daisyabigael 10:53, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

He constantly referred to himself as "Irish-American", but never acquired Irish citizenship. The fact is, he was an American. Pure and simple. He held no other citizenship.

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I found it odd that his role in this movie was so downplayed. He was the star in it, after all. Also, other than being a Prisoner fanatic myself, I think that what most people know of McGoohan, if anything at all, is his role in this film. Just saying... Huw Powell (talk) 07:41, 20 July 2008 (UTC)

Sorry, have to disagree with you there - he's not the star (unless you mean by his career, and even then he's not what you'd consider a 'star'). His character is a relatively minor one who just propels a couple of plot threads along. Personally I do love his role near the start of the film - that section and the 'infamous scene' (which he is not in, just Michael Ironside and briefly Louis Del Grande), are IMHO the only worthy parts of the film! 58.6.184.26 (talk) 12:20, 13 December 2014 (UTC)

Why is there no image of McGoohan in the main article?

Just asking a simple question. Odd not to see an image of the person being described in a wiki article. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.12.201.85 (talk) 00:45, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Per policy, a copyright-free image, if available, is strongly preferred. Almost all the images of McGoohan on websites are likely to be copyrighted, however. Unless we can find someone who has a free image they are prepared to release without restriction, it's unlikely to happen. However, I'll look into it. --Rodhullandemu 22:50, 31 January 2009 (UTC)

Nationality again

Always a tricky problem on Wikipedia, since our policies do not (and arguably cannot) take account of every law everywhere, and nor should they; that is a full-time task in itself. In McGoohan's case, he was born in the USA to Irish parents, but became notable in the UK. To take the latter point first, we might well thus describe him as "British", if not "English". However, he was born in the USA, which, per lex soli, grants him US nationality (since his parents were not illegal immigrants!). Whether he is Irish presents a more difficult problem. Per the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, he would have to "declare himself" or be declared by his parents, as Irish. To be sure (to be sure), documentary evidence of this would be critical; the use of the pseudonym "Paddy Fitz" might not be deemed to be authoritative, since such a soubriquet is arguably equally likely to be used by a second or third (or more) generation American citizen of Irish descent. If it can be shown that he ever held an Irish passport, that would be a clincher on that point. For the present, I am disposed to accept "American" (per lex soli) and "British" (per WP:MOSBIO); as for Irish, despite that he is so strongly associated with it, I'd say it needs some work. --Rodhullandemu 23:25, 31 January 2009 (UTC)

An excellent summary with which I wholeheartedly agree. – ukexpat (talk) 01:50, 1 February 2009 (UTC)

The man never held any other citizenship, making him an American actor who merely *lived* in Ireland and England. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.189.71.175 (talk) 11:59, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

He apparently told a US interviewer in 1970 that, although he'd been advised that it would be a mere formality for him to acquire US citizenship, he wasn't interested at that time. (He was living in Switzerland.) So he only seems to have taken up the option when he moved to California a few years later. Up to then, he was probably a British citizen, since he lived in Britain for 30 years and could claim citizenship by descent (lex sanguinis), both his parents having been born in the United Kingdom -- that is, in Ireland before 1922 -- which entitled their children to British citizenship despite Ireland's subsequent independence, even if the children were born abroad. He would have had no right to live and work in Britain as a US citizen on reaching majority in 1949 unless he applied either for indefinite leave to remain on family grounds, or for British citizenship. Although he did not do National Service, he may have been given a medical exemption due to his severe bronchial asthma in childhood, a condition that recurred when he was doing that chicken-farm job at about age 19. Khamba Tendal (talk) 17:23, 26 November 2017 (UTC)

Is there a source for this?Halbared (talk) 10:47, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

I can't find anything RS, no. This isn't surprising in matters McGoohan because he liked to be quite secretive in some areas. (He had his writings privately printed in editions of 100 for family and friends and would never let anyone from the media see them, saying his children could publish them after his death if they wanted.) We know little about his parents and apparently nothing at all about his four younger sisters except their names. He did give some interviews in the Sixties in which he talked just a little about his parents and rather more about his school in England and his early jobs at the rope factory, the bank, the Browns' chicken farm and the Sheffield Rep, and Rupert Booth quotes these in his biography Not A Number: Patrick McGoohan -- A Life (London, Supernova Books, 2011, ISBN 978-0956632920 https://www.amazon.co.uk/NOT-NUMBER-Patrick-McGoohan-Life/dp/0956632920 -- you can search quite large chunks of the book, including the early-life section, in a Google Books preview here: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J0KeDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT336&lpg=PT336&dq=patrick+mcgoohan+us+citizenship&source=bl&ots=d0o5uiTQn6&sig=ACfU3U1E57YsLcPbG4Ib3nt8GaS9hUfQYA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwisu4yI4IjyAhXth_0HHSvUCWU4PBDoATADegQIFRAD#v=onepage&q=patrick%20mcgoohan%20us%20citizenship&f=false ) Booth claims, without citation, that McGoohan expected to be called up for National Service but never was. He may in fact have been called up but rejected due to his chronic asthmatic condition and didn't want to talk about it, because skipping military service was a little shameful in those days just after the war. But as the son of British-born parents, McGoohan was entitled to British citizenship and would probably be treated by default as a British citizen like anyone else. British law, as laid down in Murray v Parkes 1942, held that UK-resident Irish citizens with inherited British citizenship were liable to conscription. But the situation was quite complicated and McGoohan may have missed the draft because no one could work out what his legal status actually was. He certainly never said that he would have been unwilling to serve in the British forces. (In the penultimate episode of The Prisoner, 'Once Upon A Time', scripted by McGoohan, Leo McKern's Number Two tells Number Six, 'In the war, you killed,' and it is suggested that Number Six served as a wartime pilot with RAF Bomber Command, and Two and Six act out a bomber sortie, even though Six's stated 1928 birthdate, the same as McGoohan's, makes this improbable. But it's a matter of common record that men who were slightly too young to have served in the war tended to feel inferior to men who had actually done that thing, so McGoohan may have wished to give Number Six an honorable history that he himself did not have.) Even so, there is no reason to believe that he took out US citizenship on gaining majority in 1949, since this would have caused untold and unnecessary bureaucratic complications and he had made his life in England and never expected to move elsewhere (until the fall-out from The Prisoner in the late Sixties, when he upset Lew Grade and gained the fatal reputation in England of being 'difficult to work with'). It seems unlikely that he exercised this option until he moved to the US about 1974, when it would of course have been far simpler than applying for a Green Card. He was probably a British citizen up till then and US media referred to him as British until quite a late date. Khamba Tendal (talk) 18:33, 29 July 2021 (UTC)

Natural causes?

The IMDB lists "illness" as the cause of his death. If this was the case, was the illness brought on by natural causes?

Death from illness, death from disease and death from natural causes are the same thing. What is needed is a specific cause, for example: ischaemic heart disease, colon cancer etc. Correct & improve (talk) 06:45, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

I can't find the reasons for his death on the Web. For example, one blog claims, "cause of death unknown", in spite of reports on several other sites that an autopsy was performed. Some sites say that the cause of death was withheld by his family. The reasons for his death are of interest to me because he was a smoker who had, IMO, much creative work ahead of him (he was a very active and apparently healthy 80). David spector (talk) 21:39, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

Of his health I know nought, but he hadn't made a TV or film appearance (even voice only) in 7 years! I don't know if a come-back was ever going to be on the cards. Daisyabigael (talk) 23:57, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

The cause of his death unknown as it has never been released. There is a statement that the death was due to "a brief illness", but that link is now dead and has been removed from the Wayback Machine. As a fan of Patrick I wanted to know why he died, and I spend much time after he died looking for clues and posting questions on web boards. I am still trying to find out his cause of death. I have speculated that he may of had a smoking related illness. But there is no evidence to support my speculation. Ty78ejui (talk) 15:48, 23 August 2019 (UTC)

american idol teaser ad?

I was just wondering what american idol teaser ads 'echoed' The Prisoner

I'm still wondering about this. Anyone has credible references? Otherwise it should be removed from the article. Miguel1626 (talk) 22:07, 19 June 2010 (UTC)

After a six-month wait for a source, it's done. Wi2g 21:53, 29 December 2010 (UTC)

Edits From The Daily Express

Hello

As a bibliophile,collector of a wide variety of magazines and newspapers the editor has come across some materials that address issues in articles in Wikipedia. This is one such news item that may prove useful as a reliable source.

I have made an edit to the article 'Patrick McGoohan'. The edit is about McGoohan's transition to another show based on an item from the Daily Express per the suggestion of another editor.

There may be more edits based on the content of the reliable source.

I welcome any comments or suggestions.

Sincerely

A Contributor

66.235.14.67 (talk) 01:02, 13 June 2011 (UTC)

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only directed three of his appearances as killer

I have re-instated the statement that PM only directed three of his appearances as killer. The earlier edit was based on the false presumption that the sentence meant to say he had only been the killer three times. By Dawn's Early Light, PM's first stint as guest villain, was directed by the prolific TV director Harvey Hart. Daisyabigael (talk) 00:39, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

He was in All Night Long too

He was. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 101.115.110.215 (talk) 10:22, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

Roles he turned down

I heard he was offered, and turned down, the roles of Gandalf in LOTR and Dumbledore in Harry Potter, because they did not fit his chosen persona of the arrogant, creepy characters. Does anyone know anything about this? Goblinshark17 (talk) 06:14, 30 March 2014 (UTC)

Assessment comment

The comment(s) below were originally left at Talk:Patrick McGoohan/Comments, and are posted here for posterity. Following several discussions in past years, these subpages are now deprecated. The comments may be irrelevant or outdated; if so, please feel free to remove this section.

why was the last prisoner episode so controversial his family "had to leave britain?" 70.73.232.123 08:34, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Last edited at 08:34, 1 December 2006 (UTC). Substituted at 02:22, 30 April 2016 (UTC)

Redundant?

I don't know how to make the change myself, but shouldn't this section end after "Tomblin" to avoid saying the same thing twice?

"McGoohan wrote and directed several episodes of The Prisoner himself, occasionally using the pseudonyms Joseph Serf and Paddy Fitz. Apart from being the star, McGoohan was the executive producer, forming Everyman Films with series producer David Tomblin, and also wrote and directed several episodes, in some cases using pseudonyms." — Preceding unsigned comment added by Gejopari (talk • contribs) 06:10, 10 September 2016 (UTC)

 Done - Ryk72 ^'c.s.n.s.' 06:26, 10 September 2016 (UTC)

Missing credit

McGoohan played a hydrotherapist in "I am a Camera". This was in 1955, hence earlier than any other credited film appearance listed here. I've seen the film, and can confirm that it was indeed credited. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.40.34.79 (talk) 13:10, 16 October 2016 (UTC)

He was also nominated for a Hugo award.

American citizenship

I'm sure we can consider this person as both American and Irish (or Irish and American) in the lead, since he was born in the United States, has held American citizenship for all his life (that's what I would assume from this article atleast), and has a career that spans both the UK and US. Per MOS:CITIZEN: In cases of public or relevant dual citizenship, or a career that spans a subject's emigration, the use of the word and reduces ambiguity. This is an example of a person who established a career in Europe as a Hungarian, then emigrated to the United States and was naturalized and continued his career, and is thus known as both a Hungarian actor and as an American actor. The use of and again prevents the introduction of ethnicity or birth. Inpops (talk) 17:52, 1 July 2024 (UTC)